Atomizer



Oct; '15, 1929. E. L.. Emmm 1,731,924

ATOMIZER 1mm ma. 26, 1924 2 amate-shew; l

nomma Filed Feb. 28, 1924 2 Sheetswsheet 2 d Patented Oct. 15, 1929`UNITED ASTATES PATENT oFF-ice AToMIzEn Application filed February 28,1924. Serial No. 695,847.

My invention relates to atomizers and it has special reference todevices that serve to subdivide liquids into a finely divided oratomized state through mechanical means and, if

desired, independently of heat. v

cles such as obtain when a liquid is projected through an atomizer. Themeans that I employ atomizes a liquid by forcing it to flow as a film incontact with a surface to which it may adhere and along a path' ofsubstantial length While being subjected to a centrifugal force that, inturn, induces the flow of t e liquid along said path.

It is proposed to substitute for a disk of large diameter a disk ofrelatively small vdiameter but provided with spaced, concentric andlaterally projecting flanges, ridges, ribs or 4corrugat-ions wherebyradial paths upon the face of the small diameter disk may be providedwhich will be j considerably elongated over the normal radius of thedisk. The nature of these radial paths over which the liquid film isforced outwardly by centrifugal force, may be varied in accordance withthe 4Vcharacter of the concentric flanges or ridges formed upon the faceof the disk. But in any event zig-zag radial paths are formed on theface of the small-diameter disk over which the liquid flows outwardlyfrom the center of the disk. 4

By means ofthe foregoing construction of a relatively small diameterdisk, the advantage is secured of having a small-diameter and revolvingdisk wherein relatively long radial paths are provided, thus ensuringcomplete liquid.

One object of my invention 'is to furnish an atomizer of the generalcharacter indij cated above in which an enlarged peripheral dischargearea is provided by means of a multiple of relatively small cooperatingdisks whereby large quantities of atomized liquidmaybe spread anddischarged Without suffering'retardation because of a limited peripheraldischarge area.

A second object of my invention is-to provide an atomizer, as described,that may be used as a carburetor or fuel vaporizer and whichautomatically controls the peripheral discharge area and1 therefore, thequantity of atomized liquid' that may be discharged therefromindependently of the diameter of the rotating disks comprised therein..

Another object ofmy invention is to provide an atomizer or carburet rwherein the rotating or spreading disks wi be selfpropelled at a highrate of speed and which automatically controls the quantity of atomizedliquid in accordance with the demand upon the atomizer or carburetor.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterdesc'ribedabove which will be simple and economical to construct andefcient in operation. 75

For a better understanding of the nature, scope and characteristicfeatures of my invention, reference may be hadf to the follow ingdescription and the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a view,partially in elevation and partially in section, of' a fuel atomizerconstructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic View in elevation of a portion of my assembledmulti-disk struc ture wherein the air vane constructionis illustrated; l

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one ofthe spacers interposed betweenadjacent atomlzatomization, breaking-up or spreading of the ing orspreading disks, as embodied in the structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the atomizing orspreading disks embodied in the multi-disk vaporizer of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a plan view taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is view, partially in elevation and partially in section, showinga modified fuel atomizer wherein the propulsion of the multidiskstructure is accomplished by means of an electric motor.

A Referring to Fig. 1, a housing 10 is provided at its upper end with aliange 11 in .which spaced openings 12 are formed in order to admitbolts for securing the casing or housing 10 to the manifold (not shown)of an internal combustion engine. The device illustrated may be assumed,for convenience, as being a fuel atomizer or a carburetor for aninternal combustion engine. The connecting passageway between themanifold of the internal combustionengine and the carburetor constitutesan opening 13 that is formed at the throat of the casing 10 'in which abutteriy valve 14 is .interposed that is actuated in any convenient Way,such as by means of a linkage mechanism 15.

The casing-10 houses a multi-disk rotating element 16 which is mountedupon a rotatable shaft 17. T he upper bearing of the shaft 17 is housedwithin a bracket 18 that is shown as formed integrally with the casing10. The lower end of the shaft 17 is conically shaped,

as shown at 19, and housed withiny a bearing 20 which is supported inthe lower end of the housing 10. The bottom periphery of the housing 10is provided with a plurality of spaced airinlets or vents 21 whichafford communication through the interior of the housing 10 between theoutside atmosphere and the throat 13 of the manifold'feonnection.4

The rotating element 16 constitutes a plurality of spaced superposeddisks 22, one of which is illustrated in' Fig. 4. The disks 22 arespaced from one another by means of spacers 23, one of which isillustrated in Fig. 3. The disks 22 are provided with a pluralityof'concentrically arranged spaced corru- -gations or ridges 24 therebyproviding radial paths upon the face of each disk that are elongated ina zig-zag fashion and in a direction parallel to the plane ofrotation ofthe` disk.

.As shown in Fig. 4, the outer edge of the ydisk 22 may be providedatspacedintervals 23. The disks are assembled to form arotat.

with pressed nodules 25 which serve to space the dlsks at their outer-edges from one another y The disks at their inner peripheries are heldin spaced relation from one another,

as explained above, by means of the spacers able unit as shown in\Fig. 1by interposing the spacing washers 23 between adjacent disks. End plates26 and 27 are then applied to the built-up structure and the whole isheld in permanent relation by means of holding bolts 28 which extendthrough the upper end plate 27 and are threaded into the lower end plate26.

The atomizing disks 22 and the spacers 23 are of annular form andprovided respectively with central openings 22-1 and 23 which registerwith one another in the built-up structure to provide a centralelongated passage that constitutes a fuel admission chamber 29 of therotating element 16. Communication is afforded between the fuel chamber29 and the spaces between adjacent atomizing disks 22 through openings30 that are formed at spaced intervals in the spacers 23. It is, ofcourse, obvious that any number of openings 30 may be formed in thespacers 23, depending upon the degree of atomization of the liquiddesired, the nature of the fuel to be atomized, its viscosity the speedof rotation of the vaporizing disks and other considerations. When ahigh degree of atomization of `the liquid is desired, the dischargeopenings 30 may be decreased in cross sectional area, and if anincreased quantity of liquid to be atomized is desired, the number ofactive disks for spreading the liquid is increased.

In Fig. 4, each of the atomizing disks 22 is provided at spacedintervals along its periphery with integrally formed vanes or blades31.' The disks 22 may be made from sheet metal that is stamped andpressed in order to provide the concentric corrugations 24 and theradially projecting blades 31 that are sub- 4sequently bent toconstitute a part of the propelling vanes for the rotating unit 16, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the assembled built-up unit 16, the severalspaced vanes 31 upon each atomizing disk 22 are brought into continuousrelation with corresponding vanes formed upon the adjacent disks and, inthe aggregate, form a series of air vanes that serve to propel therotatable unit 16 Awhen acted upon by the air drawn into the housing 10through the air vents 21. The assembled propelling vanes 31 project intothe path of the air-intake and by reason of their form constitute thepropelling means for the rotat-l the fuel chamber 29. The needle valve33` comprises a plunger 35 that is actuated by. means of a fuel supplylever 36. The needle Avalve construction is well known in the art and,consequently, need not be described in detail, except that through theagency of the adjustable needle valve 33 the quantity of fuel suppliedto thefuel chamber 29 lmay be controlled.

In operation,.the floiv of the air through the intake 2l to the manifoldconnection 13 causes theassembled multi-disk liquid spreading element 16to rotate at a substantially highV y speed. The fuel admitted into thefuel chamber 29 through the needle valve 33 is forced outvvardl from thefuel chamber 29 by reason of centri ugal force inducing' the flow of theliquid through the passageways 30 formed in j the spacing disks 23. Asthe fuel comes in contact with thevaporizing disks 22, itv is,

spread, as 'hereinbefore described, and discharged fromthe-periphery ofthe disks into passageways 29a formed between the adjacent propellingair vanes 31. From the passage- Ways 29, the yspread or atomiz'ed liquidis sucked into the manifold in quantities depending upon the positionofthe butterfly valve 14 in the throat 13. As the demand for fuelincreases in quantity, the valve 33-is .adjusted to permit of anincrease in the flow of fuel i-nto the chamber 29.' In order to atomizeproperly this increased quantity of liquidv fuel, the multiplicity ofthe atomizingdisks 22 provides automatically an increasing atcmizingagency, depending uponthe numberiof such disks that are renderedactivein atomizing the fuel', Which number is controlled by reason oftheheight attained by the liquid fuel Within the fuel Echamber 29. Byemploying a multiple of superposed atomizing disks`22, each of Which hasthe equivalent of a substantially large diameterhyl reason of theplurality of spaced concentric corrugations 24 being formed on its face,an

increased peripheral discharge area is provided for the atomized fuelWhich is ample to take care Vof all the demands for fuel made upon theatomizer and permits ofincreasing automatically the discharge ofatomized fuel without retardation or hindrance.

Referring to Fig. 5, it will be observed that .i the self-propellingatomizer of Fig. 1 is provided with a series of eight pr pelling vanes31 which I have found ample or'inducing a sufficiently high speed ofrotation to the element 16 comprising the plurality of superposedatomizing disks 22. It will be observed that by reason of the spacedconcentric ridges 24 formed upon the face of each ofthe atomizing disks22, a substantially long radial path is formed-for the liquidfilm-projected upon each disk thereby spreading the liquid suiiicientl-yto' completely atomize it'.. The

ber' 29 is of ample size to handle suflicicnt' atomized liquid -onreaching the peripheral discharge areas of the disks comes incontactwith the air flowing through the air-intake 2l and becomesthoroughly admixed thereivith'in the passagcways 29a before beingadmitted into the manifold of the internal combusti on engine. Theliquid fuel supply chamquantities of fuel that, in turn, lis atomizcd inany desired quantity by reason of the superposed atomizing disks 22,each constituting of itself a .separate atomizing agency for y spreadingthe liquid fuel projected thereupon through the openings 3() formed inthe adjacent spacer 23. The number of atomizing disks 22 that are activeat any time depends upon the level of the liquid fuel contained Withinthe fuel chamber 29.

Under certain conditions it may be desired to dispense with theself-propelling vanes 31 of the device illustrated in Figs. 1, 4 and 3and, in that event, the assembled rotatable multi-disk element 16that'serv'es to spread and atomize the liquid fuel, may be propelled bymeans of an electric motor 40 that is directly connected to therotatable shaft'17 of` referred to herein since it is conceivable'thatmany modifications and changes may be made Without departing from thespirit and scope of the lappended claims.A

Having thus described my invention, wh at.

VI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the U. S, is

1. An atomizer comprising a housing, a rotatable element disposedtherein Which embod-ies a plurality of spaced superposed annularspreading'disks, each being provided with a series of concentric spacedcorrugations in order to provide elongated radial paths upon eachdisk,annular spacing mem- .bers having grooves,the faces thereof imposedbetween adjacent-spreading devices so that said disks together with saidgrooves providel lateral openings to permit fuel to pass therethrough tothe face of each of the spreading disks, said disks and spacers havingcentral openings and a closure at the lower end thereof to formv aliquid containing chamber, a liquid inlet at the upper end of saidchamber ffor supplying liquid thereto whereby the amount of liquidcontained therein automatically controls the active number of spreadingdisks, means for uniting said spacing members and said disks to -providea rotatable unitarystructure for spreading said' fuel centrifugally,said housing being provided with air vents adjacent to the peripheraldischarge 'areas of said disks, and laterally extending projections oneach of said disks 'extending into said air vents, sai-d projections inthe assembled built-up structure providing continuous inclined an'vanes.

2. An atomizer comprising a housing, a rotatable element disposedtherein embodying a plurality of spaced superposed liquid spreadingdisks each being provided with a series of concentric corrugations inorder to provide elongated radial paths upon each disk, means foradmitting liquid to be spread upon the face of each disk, said disks andsaid spacers forming a liquid containing chamber in communication. withsaid means, a liquid inlet in communication with said chamber wherebythe amount of liquid fed to said chamber automatically controls theactive number of spreading disks.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

BERNARD L. ENGELKE.

